FARM Activists Feed Thousands Across the Globe!

Meatout 2011 was a huge success, exposing nearly 35,000 people to vegan food with events in all 50 states and two dozen other countries! Since 1985, the Great American Meatout has been reaching people in communities all over the world with the message that a vegan diet is compassionate to animals, is better for the environment, and improves human health. Activists have used all sorts of methods to spread this message, including leafleting, information tables, lectures, video screenings, and many other creative avenues.

But of all events, ones featuring free vegan food along with leaflets and information demonstrate the most success—free cookies soften even the harshest critics.

For Meatout 2011, FARM challenged activists to serve 10,000 people free samples of vegan food- a goal which had to be increased to 20,000 after only a few weeks! With nearly 800 Meatout events in all 50 states and 24 different countries, we far surpassed that goal by feeding nearly 35,000 people!

Within this tally are a variety of events, ranging from personal offerings to coworkers in the break room to full-on vegetarian food fairs that draw thousands of people. They're all the result of dedicated, compassionate people looking to share with others what we all know: vegan food is delicious, filling, and becoming more accessible to everyone.

At anti-war rallies in Washington, DC and San Francisco, FARM, with help from In Defense of Animals, A Well Fed World, and the Open the Cages Alliance, held "Feed-Ins for Peace" with over 2,000 protestors each receiving a free Tofurky sandwich. The peace protesters were grateful to have the food and happily listened to our message that non-violence begins with what we eat. Everyone who got a sandwich also received FARM's new Live Vegan brochure, a Meatout Mondays recipe handout, or other outreach materials.

Other attention-grabbing events included cellophane-wrapped protestors marked as "human meat" in Spain, a biodiesel-fueled vegan ice cream truck in San Diego, and a flash mob event in Portland, Oregon. With the help of Farm Underground—FARM's youth outreach division—Meatout events were held on campus at 35 different universities, along with other elementary, middle, and high schools.

Meatout sponsor Mercy for Animals fed over 4,000 people in Ohio, New York, Chicago, and Dallas, while sponsors Compassion Over Killing, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Farm Sanctuary, Vegan Outreach, Animal Protection and Rescue League, and Food Empowerment Project all held local events.

FARM also worked to create a buzz by running our TV ad throughout March, which asked 1.2 million viewers why some animals are loved as their pets while others are killed for their dinner. We also placed 400 bus advertisements in San Francisco, Boston, Dallas, and the NYC area, and nearly 200 natural food stores across the United States offered Meatout materials to their customers.

On the internet, over 60 bloggers celebrated Meatout by posting tips, recipes and other thoughts that would be helpful to new vegans, plus a comic strip and many fun give-aways.

The governors of Colorado and Illinois and mayors of Portland (OR), Gainesville (FL), and Sarasota (FL) all issued proclamations in support of Meatout, recommending that citizens make an effort to cut meat out of their diets for at least one day a week. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors also reaffirmed their commitment to last-year's proclaimed meatless Monday by officially naming March 20th "Great American Meatout Day."

Of the 35,000 people fed for Meatout 2011, over 8,000 were the result of an international effort from activists in 24 different countries! Meatout events in countries like France, Croatia, Australia, and Argentina led the charge by serving hundreds of people in major cities, while others in Costa Rica, Kenya, and Romania reached dozens in small towns and villages.

Among the notable international events, Animal Friends Croatia held their annual VeggieFair which attracted over 2,000 people; they sampled vegan food, from local companies, like "salamis, sausages, burgers, [and] desserts." In France, Journee Sans Viande served 3,000 people at four different events in Paris alone, while Meatout Deutschland served several hundred at events across Germany. Anima Naturalis held feed-ins across Latin America and Spain, serving 1,800 people.

Other countries who took part in Meatout 2011 include Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, England, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Russia, South Africa, and Uganda.

Scroll down to see pictures from our international events!

Check out the Meatout 2011 Gallery for more photos of our activists!

Many events would not have been possible without the generous donations from VegFund, and from vegetarian prepared food companies including: Turtle Island Foods, Primal Spirit Foods, Turtle Mountain, Eat in the Raw, WayFare Foods, Tofutti, Edward & Sons, Field Roast, Sunshine Burgers, Gardein, and Veggie Brothers.

What's next? Earth Day is April 22nd! Request a Vegan Earth Day Pack with handouts and stickers.

What else? Join us for the Animal Rights 2011 National Conference July 21-25 in Los Angeles, CA. Visit ARConference.org to register at the early discounted rate!